The present invention relates to high strength buckets for use in the last stage of steam turbine engines and to the method for manufacturing such high strength buckets. Specifically, the invention relates to the application of certain titanium-based alloys for use in making high strength, last stage turbine buckets having vane lengths of about 40 inches or greater.
It is generally recognized that the performance of a steam turbine engine is greatly influenced by the design and performance of later stage buckets operating at reduced steam pressures. Ideally, the last stage bucket should efficiently use the expansion of steam down to the turbine exhaust pressure, while minimizing the kinetic energy of the steam flow leaving the last stage.
The service requirements of steam turbine buckets can be complex and demanding. Last stage buckets, in particular, are routinely exposed to a variety of severe operating conditions, including the corrosive environments caused by high moisture and the carry-over from the boiler. Such conditions can lead to serious corrosion and pitting problems with the bucket material, particularly in longer, last stage turbine buckets having vane lengths of 40 inches or greater. Thus, for some time, last stage buckets for turbines have been the subject of repeated investigations and development work in an effort to improve their efficiency under harsh operating conditions since even small increases in bucket efficiency and life span can result in significant economic benefits over the life of a steam turbine engine.
Last stage turbine buckets are exposed to a wide range of flows, loads and strong dynamic forces. Thus, from the standpoint of mechanical strength and durability, the primary factors that affect the final bucket profile design include the active length of the bucket, the pitch diameter and the operating speed in the operative flow regions. Damping, bucket fatigue and corrosion resistance of the materials of construction at the maximum anticipated operating conditions also play an important role in the final bucket design and method of manufacture.
The development of larger last stage turbine buckets, e.g., those with vane lengths of about 40 inches or more, poses additional design problems due to the inertial loads that often exceed the strength capability of conventional bucket materials such as Ti6Al-4V and iron-based alloys. Steam turbine buckets, particularly last stage buckets with longer vanes, experience higher tensile loadings and thus are subject to cyclic stresses which, when combined with a corrosive environment, can be very damaging to the bucket over long periods of use. In addition, the steam in the last stages normally is “wet,” i.e., containing a higher amount of saturated steam. As a result, water droplet impact erosion of the bucket material often occurs in the last stage. Such erosion reduces the useable service life of the bucket and the efficiency of the steam turbine as a whole.
In the past, it has been difficult to find bucket materials capable of meeting all of the mechanical requirements for different end use applications, particularly mechanical designs in which longer vane buckets, i.e., those having vane lengths about 40 inches or more, have been employed. Invariably, the longer buckets have increased strength requirements and, as noted above, suffer from even greater erosion and pitting potential. The higher stresses inherent in longer vane designs also increase the potential for stress corrosion cracking at elevated operating temperatures because the higher strength required in the bucket material tends to increase the susceptibility to stress cracking at operating temperatures at or near 400° F. The effects of pitting corrosion and corrosion fatigue also increase with the higher applied stresses in last stage buckets having longer vane lengths. Many times, an alloy selected to satisfy the basic mechanical design requirements of other turbine stages simply will not meet the minimum mechanical strength and erosion resistance requirements of last stage buckets.
Previous approaches to solving the problems with longer vane lengths in last stage turbine buckets vary widely, depending on the end use requirements. In some cases, where the service demands are less severe, a single bucket material may be acceptable. However, in order to increase erosion resistance, the bucket normally requires hardening through localized heat treatment (e.g., flame or induction hardening) at the leading edge to provide additional erosion resistance. Alternatively, an erosion resistant shielding material (such as stellite) can be attached to the bucket by brazing, gas tungsten arc or electron beam welding. These prior art physical attachment methods almost invariably lead to some degree of degradation in the weld heat affect zone over time, and thus the bucket may ultimately fail at those points. In addition, the risk of defective welds always exists and can result in costly scrapping of entire bucket assemblies in some cases.
Another known method of manufacturing or repairing steam turbine buckets involves welding an insert to a leading edge of the bucket blade and then hardening a part of the insert to provide a leading outer edge with a hardened surface. Again, however, the hardening step normally does not extend as far as the junction between the insert and the blade itself. Thus, a portion of the insert can remain unhardened and vulnerable to premature failure or erosion under harsh operating conditions.
Commonly-owned U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,395 discloses a method for providing a bi-metallic structure that satisfies many of the requirements for highly stressed last stage buckets used in steam turbines. The method described in the '395 patent includes attaching an erosion resistant insert material, with both the bucket and insert material being in a near optimum weldability condition. The bi-metallic assembly is heat treated after welding to optimize bucket properties without significant distortion. The insert material can also be hardened after machining (by flame hardening or other conventional methods) to provide improved erosion resistance. It has been found, however, that the bi-metallic structure disclosed in the '395 patent does not solve all of the pitting and corrosion problems inherent in last stage turbine buckets, particularly those with vane lengths of about 40 inches or greater.
The present invention represents a significant improvement over earlier last-stage bucket designs using bi-metallic structures by providing an integral, i.e., unitary, metallic design for buckets having longer vane lengths. In particular, the invention utilizes a high strength titanium alloy particularly suited for vane lengths of about 40 inches or greater. As such, the application of the alloys is particularly useful for last stage steam turbine buckets without the need for additional shielding materials or vane inserts as used in earlier designs. Buckets manufactured in accordance with the invention also show significant improvement in the ability to accommodate increased stresses and loads of last stage steam turbine buckets over longer periods of time without significant deterioration, erosion or stress cracking at elevated temperatures, i.e., operating temperatures at or near about 400° F.
It has now been found that certain lightweight, high strength titanium-based alloys can be used to reduce and/or control the stresses inherent in longer last stage buckets that operate at temperatures at or near 400° F., particularly buckets having vane lengths of about 40 inches or more. Longer vane buckets using the titanium-based alloys described herein exhibit higher strength and improved erosion resistance. Exemplary titanium-based alloys according to the invention have a minimum 145 ksi room temperature ultimate tensile strength, a 130 ksi 0.2% room temperature yield strength; 125 ksi ultimate tensile strength and 110 ksi 0.2% yield strength at about 400° F. The preferred titanium-based alloys are also more reliable and cost-effective when used in buckets with longer vane lengths as compared to other conventional alloys, such as Ti6 Al-4V.
In its broader aspects, the present invention also includes a new process of manufacturing an integral, unitary steam turbine bucket comprising titanium alloys that are approximately 50% lighter than iron base alloys typically used in steam turbine applications. This significant reduction in overall weight from earlier bucket designs represents an important potential cost savings, both in equipment manufacture and steam turbine efficiency for buckets having vane lengths of about 40 inches or greater. The strength of the titanium alloys used to form buckets according to the invention has also been found equal to or greater than conventional iron based alloys.
Additional objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description that follows.